As a process for producing 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, there has been conventionally known a process for dehydroiodinating 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-iodopropane with an alcoholic potassium hydroxide (Non-Patent Publication 1), a process for dehydrofluorinating 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane in dibutyl ether with potassium hydroxide (Non-Patent Publication 2) or the like. Additionally, there is disclosed in Patent Publication 1 a process for dehydrofluorinating 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane with a chromium/activated carbon catalyst, while there is disclosed in Patent Publication 2 a process for obtaining 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene from 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane brought into contact with a chromium-based catalyst.
On the other hand, as an example of a dehydrofluorination reaction of a general fluoroalkane compound in a gaseous phase, there is disclosed in Patent Publication 3 a process for producing a corresponding propene by bringing 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroparopane into a gaseous condition and making it contact with activated carbon or a chromium oxide catalyst, and in Patent Publication 4 a process for bringing fluoroethane into contact with activated carbon and initiating a thermal decomposition thereon.
On the other hand, as a process for producing 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene serving as an intermediate in the present invention, there is disclosed in Patent Publication 5 a process for reacting 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane with hydrogen fluoride in a gaseous phase (as a first process in a process for producing 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane) thereby obtaining 1,1,1-trifluoro-3-chloro-2-propene (1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene). Additionally, there is disclosed in Patent Publication 6 a process for reacting 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane with hydrogen fluoride in the absence of a catalyst (as a first process in the process for producing 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane) thereby obtaining 1,1,1-trifluoro-3-chloro-2-propene (1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene). There are disclosed in Patent Publication 7: a process for reacting 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane in a reactor, in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst or a mixture of the Lewis acid catalyst, at a temperature lower than 150° C., and in a liquid phase (as a first process in the process for producing 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene); a process for continuously extracting hydrogen chloride and 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene generated in the reactor; and a process for isolating 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene.
Additionally, in Patent Publication 8, as fluorination of a halogenated olefin, there is disclosed a process for fluorinating 1,1-dichloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene with hydrogen fluoride in a gaseous phase in the presence of a fluorination catalyst.
Additionally, there is disclosed in Patent Publication 9 a process for reacting 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene with hydrogen fluoride thereby obtaining 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.
In general, a product extracted from a reaction process for producing 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene contains an acid component; therefore, it is necessary to conduct a step of washing with water and/or a step of washing with a basic aqueous solution.
Concerning dehydration of 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane serving as fluorinated hydrocarbon, a process for bringing it into contact with a specified zeolite (Patent Publication 10).
Concerning fluoroolefin, meanwhile, it is known that olefin having trifluoromethyl group involves a case where fluorine at vinyl position is eliminated in the presence of bases. Actually, 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene is not stable in a case of coexistence with a basic compound such as amine.
Additionally, zeolite is known to be used as a catalyst for hydration reaction of olefin, and there is disclosed that alcohol is generated by a reaction between olefin and water (Patent Publication 11).